Black Powder

by Staton Rabin

South Central
Los Angeles, 2010
Fourteen-year-old Langston Davis's best friend, Neely, has been shot and killed in a gang fight. Langston wishes that he could turn back the clock. But he knows you can't change history. Or can you?
When his science teacher invents a century-hopping time machine, Langston knows exactly what he must do: go back in time to stop the invention of gunpowder...which will prevent the invention of guns...which will stop Neely from getting killed.
Hijacking the time machine, Langston leaves a holographic "twin" of himself at home and bounces back to Oxford, England, in 1278, where he's in a race against time to stop the scientific "wizard" Professor Roger Bacon from sharing his new invention -- the Western world's first form of gunpowder. When Dr. Bacon is kidnapped by his archenemy, it's up to Langston and his new friend, Niles, to try to rescue him and destroy the formula for gunpowder. But is changing history really saving the world? Or is it just standing in the way of progress? Can Langston accomplish his mission and bring Neely back to life before he gets stuck in the thirteenth century forever? No matter how you look at it, it's going to be one heck of a ride through the dangereous hairpin turns of history and back to the future again!

245 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2005

About the author

Staton Rabin has a B.F.A. in film from New York University. In addition to writing for children, she is a screenwriter; a popular speaker about the art, craft, and business of writing for film; and a veteran story analyst for Scr(i)pt magazine, screenwriters, and producers. Staton Rabin lives in Irvington, New York.

Reviews

[Isy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Powder was a great book. the main character is an A student named Langston that lives in LA with his mother and his father. Langston has a best friend named Neely. Lngston's world is flipped upside down when Neely is shot as a result of gang violents. And then once more it's flipped when Langston's science techer Ms. Centauri envent a machene that can teleport people through time and space. At that point Langston has an idea, he wanted to save his friend. But when he goes backe in time he has 8 days to do save Neely and stop the envention of gun powder.
"Black Powder" is a great, heroric story about a boy trying to save the life of his friend. The book is a very beliveable story that will make your mind wonder. Make you think that time travel is so simple and that you can do it your self. it is a wonderful mix of Scifi and historical fiction. I will suggest this book to enyone that is a fan of scifi and/or historical fiction.

[Jhun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to say I liked it, but that would only be because of the author's note and Rabin's explanation of where the story came from.

Got a good context but written poorly.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

this ia a young reader book. good for middle schoolers. educational tho. langstons bff was killed in a gang. he find a machine thru a science teacher that will help him go back in time and save his friend. even tho he learns he cannot change history without serious problems...he learns to deal with the loss of his friend and realizes people make there our decisions. good read for a young boy. teenage.

[Katrien · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good book for starting some good conversations with middle schoolers. It is not beautifully written; it is entirely plot-driven in terms of its writing. But the ideas it brings up are interesting--should you go back in time to change the past? Can you stop violence simply by preventing the invention of the gun? It is not a masterpiece, but it is worth reading.

[Ms. Risch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept, mediocre execution. I think the author was going for A Wrinkle in Time meets Walter Dean Meyers. The characters weren't that well developed and the story jumped all over the place. I was never really in a state of worry or suspense and had no trouble putting the book down.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the Future!!!

This is a book that takes place in 2010, and then it goes back to 1278...the invention of gunpowder.

[Staton]

"Kliatt" calls this "a laser-fast ride through time and space." You can see a description of it at www.Chinaberry.com.

[Nakiya Matthews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked reading this book because it was modern but still had an old feel to it . i liked reading this book because it was about science and i dont like science but it was fun to read about it .